Inca children were drugged before being sacrificedTue, 03 Nov 2026 00:01:00 +0000 Analysis of the hair and fingernails of eight mummified Inca children reveals that they were given cocaine and alcohol prior to being sacrificed high on Andean mountain peaks | |
Dinosaur red blood cells recovered from 115-million-year-old fossilMon, 02 Nov 2026 20:00:00 +0000 A bit of leg bone from an Aratasaurus dinosaur fossil collected in Brazil has preserved abundant 3D red blood cells in stunning detail | |
Zapping part of the brain makes you think harder – at a costMon, 02 Nov 2026 20:00:00 +0000 Stimulating a part of the brain linked to mental effort boosts performance in demanding tasks, but also leads to greater mental fatigue afterwards | |
We are finally pinning down what makes dyslexic brains differentMon, 02 Nov 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Humans never evolved to read and write, and around 10 per cent of us are dyslexic. Now, we are uncovering the pathways underlying the condition, opening up new ways to support people who struggle to read | |
COP31: Will this year’s climate summit be the most underwhelming ever?Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Despite coming after a year of dangerous weather and signs that global warming is accelerating, COP31 is unlikely to deliver dramatic progress on climate action | |
Curiosity may be what drives our brains to become so complexMon, 02 Nov 2026 11:33:43 +0000 We often think that our ability to be curious stems from our complex, human brain – but what if curiosity shapes that complexity? | |
The best new popular-science books of November 2026Mon, 02 Nov 2026 11:00:00 +0000 From a “modern bestiary” by Richard Dawkins to a book co-authored by Robert Macfarlane and an Ecuadorian cloud forest, there are plenty of exciting new popular-science books out this month, says Liz Else | |
The scientific truth about collagen supplementsMon, 02 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Your body uses collagen to give your skin strength and elasticity, so supplements of this protein seem to make sense to reduce wrinkles. But columnist Alice Klein finds it isn’t this simple | |
Fish pay attention to one influential neighbour in virtual realitySun, 01 Nov 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Observing interactions between real and virtual rummy-nose tetra fish shows that, within a group, each individual takes cues from only one influential neighbour | |
The best new science-fiction novels of November 2026Sun, 01 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000 An audio drama produced by The Martian author Andy Weir, a fictional autobiography from Michael Moorcock and a new John Scalzi novel – November is a big month for sci-fi fans, says Alison Flood | |